Every summer I have to watch this 20 minute-long documentary. As you can guess from the title, “Heavy Metal Parking Lot” (watch it here; beware of NSFW language) is about the characters that interact and the events that transpire in a parking lot outside an arena before a heavy metal concert. Directors Jeff Krulik and John Heyn didn’t really know what they were getting into when they stumbled into the parking lot of a Judas Priest concert in Maryland with their camcorders. On the DVD commentary track they reveal their fears that they might even have been beaten up — but instead, they got a steady stream of hilarity from a fun loving bunch of metal-headed, stoned, drunk, pre-functioning, partying rock-and-rollers.

There are lots of memorable characters living it up before the gig and I quote them regularly. I don’t think you necessarily need to be a metal fan to enjoy this film, but it probably helps. I think it also helps if you are a “child of the Eighties” … and also if you attended a few similar concerts, like I did. “Heavy Metal Parking Lot” serves as a nice time capsule for numerous reasons, but one above all: Sadly, I don’t think you can really engage in such blatant drug and alcohol use in public today without being hassled by the man. Ah, the good ol’ days.

For years, “Heavy Metal Parking Lot” was only available on bootleg video tapes, but eventually it was released in a nice DVD package with several other amusing documentaries, including Krulik and Heyn’s return to the same parking lot years later in a film called “Neil Diamond Parking Lot.” – Spenser Hoyt

From September 8, 2009: “It was difficult to live in Las Vegas and not spot Penn Jillette from time to time. In a town known for its conspicuous consumption, his was more conspicuous than most. He drove a pink Ford Bronco with the legend ‘PINK DEATH’ written on the doors in ornate orange letters. His Vegas home was a towering A-Frame that the occupant had nicknamed ‘The F—in’ A.’ And through some convoluted means I came to hold one of his business cards – shiny black ink on black matte stock, emblazoned with a curt, blasphemous phrase..” Read the rest here!

Disclaimer/Spoiler Alert: If you’re not watching the award-winning magnificence that is AMC’s “Mad Men,” you don’t know or care who Don Draper is, so this link will mean nothing to you. If you are watching “Mad Men,” but only on DVD, you may not want to look at this link because it comes from the current season and it kind of gives away an important plot point. But if you are watching “Mad Men” this season and you do care about Don Draper in spite of your better judgement, click on over and console the big fella. – Geoff Carter